12 children with edematous severe malnutrition will be assigned to receive 0.65 mmol/kg/d of sulfur amino acids. Supplements will be added to the children's daily diets.

12 children with edematous severe malnutrition are assigned to receive 0.65 mmol/kg/d of alanine as placebo. Supplements will be added to the children's daily diets.

Sixteen (16) children with edematous SCU will be randomly assigned to either a supplement of SAA or an isonitrogenous amount of alanine

The effect of dietary supplementation with either a mixture of SAAs or alanine (controls) on:

1. buccal tissue protein synthesis, small intestine structure, integrity and function (i.e. mixed mucosal and mucins protein synthesis rate, mucosal GSH synthesis and concentration, villous height and area and crypt depth, intestinal absorptive capacity and degree of mucosal leakiness, and synthesis of the starch digestive enzymes sucrase-isomaltase and maltase-glucoamylase, plus in vivo starch digestion and absorption) in groups of age- and gender-matched children with edematous SCU in the severely malnourished state.
2. skin protein synthesis rate, rate of closure of skin lesions
3. Red blood cell glutathione synthesis rate and cysteine production

synthesis rate of selected acute phase proteins